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Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution lasted from March 8, 1917 to November 7, 1917. This revolution was one of the most explosive political events of the twentieth century. -
Atomic Bomb - Hiroshima/Nagasaki
Atomic Bombs were dropped on Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9) in order to bring the war to a speedy end. The atomic bombs upset the Soviet Union because, in a war fought with atomic bombs, Stalin's army would be destroyed. He stated that the balance had been destroyed. -
Potsdam Conference
At the Potsdam Conference, the biggest issue was the postwar fate of Germany. On one side, President Truman and Winston Churchill wished to secure political freedom and democratic governments throughout postwar Europe. On the other side, Joseph Stalin, Dictator of the Soviet Union, wanted to dominate all of Europe and force Communism. The conference failed at settling the world's most important issues, which helped set the stage for the Cold War. -
Iron Curtain
The Iron Curtain was the boundary dividing Europe into two areas from the ending of WWII (1945) to the end of the Cold War (1991). On the East side were countries that were somehow connected to the Soviet Union. On the West were the non-Soviet-controlled countries. The Iron Curtain represented the efforts made by the Soviet Union in order to block itself from contact with the West. The term "Iron Curtain" is used to explain the tension between countries; which was a major cause of the Cold War. -
Molotov Plan
The Molotov Plan was a system created by the Soviet Union in 1947 to provide aid to Eastern European countries that were connected to the Soviet Union. It could be seen as the Soviet Union's version of the Marshall Plan. Vyacheslac Molotov, Soviet foreign minister, rejected the Marshall Plan and proposed the Molotov Plan. -
Hollywood 10
The HUAC, or House Un-American Activities Committee, investigated communist influence during the early years of the Cold War. The members of this committee very quickly set their eyes on the Hollywood industry because it was seen as place of communist activity. In October of 1947, ten people from the Hollywood movie industry refused to answer the questions that the HUAC would ask. This group became known as the Hollywood 10. They were convicted of contempt and sent to prison. -
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine was created in order to prevent Communist control of the Mediterranean when the British announced that they could no longer afford to support the pro-Western governments of the Mediterranean by sending supplies, money, and military aid to the democratic nations. The Truman Doctrine demonstrated that the U.S. would take part in the world's affairs and help any nation resist Communism in order to prevent the spread of it. -
Alger Hiss Case
In 1948, ex-communist Whittaker Chamber accused former state department employee, Alger Hiss, of spying for the Soviet Union. The House committee was prepared to dismiss the case for lack of conclusive evidence, but one of its members pressed the issue. Eventually, Alger Hiss was convicted for five years, not for treason, but for perjury. This case caused people to fear a Communist conspiracy to destroy the United States because they believed Hiss to be a part of it. -
Berlin Blockade
The Berlin Blockade (24 June, 1948 to 12 May, 1949) was an attempt made by the Soviet Union to limit the Western Allies' ability to get to their zones in Berlin, which was located deep in the Soviet Union controlled, East Germany. Berlin was blockaded due to a new currency, Deutsche mark, that was introduced in West Germany. Stalin saw it as American economic imperialism. The blockade, coming only three years after the end of WWII, was the first major clash of the Cold War. -
Berlin Airlift
The Soviet Union wanted full control of Berlin, which was divided into four parts deep in the Soviet controlled East-Germany, so they blockaded the city. They believed that without food and other supplies, the Western powers would leave Berlin. Instead of fleeing Berlin, the West provided the city supplies through airplanes. On average, a flight landed in West Berlin every three minutes from June 24, 1948 until May 12, 1949. The Berlin Airlift could be called the first battle of the Cold War. -
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was created to economically aid Europe in the ruin left by WWII by giving over 13 billion dollars. Marshall, was afraid that without aid, Europe would turn to Communism instead of facing starvation and death. The Marshall Plan was offered to the Soviet Union and countries under the Soviet influence. The Soviet Union declined the offer and other countries were forced to decline. This led to increased tensions with the Soviet Union and disagreements between the Western Powers. -
Soviet Bomb Test
On August 29 of 1949, the Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb. This came as a very big surprise to the United States because they did not expect the Soviets to do this so soon. The biggest impact that the Soviet possession of a nuclear weapon had on the US, was that Americans were now going to constantly question their safety. -
NATO
On April 4, 1949, NATO, or North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was created by the US, Canada, and 10 European nations to provide security against the Soviet Union. Nearly every European country joined either this or another pact devised by the Soviet Union after World War II. This alignment provided the framework for the military standoff that continued throughout the Cold War. -
Korean War
The Korean War was a war between Communist North Korea and Non-Communist South Korea from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953. The North was supported by China and the Soviet Union and the South by the US. The war began when the North invaded the South. The war ended when an armistice was signed; it separated North and South Korea and allowed the return of prisoners. The North's invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. For the US, it was a war of international Communism. -
Rosenberg Trial
On March 6, 1951, the Rosenberg trial began. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were arrested in connection with a plot to pass US bomb secrets to the Soviets. The Rosenberg's denied the charges. Direct evidence suggested that they played a small, yet important role in the case. The Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb, and effectively started the Cold War, in 1949 based on nuclear secrets from spies. The Rosenberg's were convicted and sentenced to death in the electric chair. -
Geneva Conference
The Geneva conference marked a turning point in the US involvement in Vietnam. One of the concerns put forth in the conference was the battle in Vietnam. As part of the agreement from the conference, the French would to withdraw their forces from North Vietnam. Vietnam was divided at the 17th parallel, pending elections within two years to choose a president. The US helped establish a non-Communist government in South Vietnam. This was the first steps in a greater US involvement in Vietnam. -
Army-McCarthy Hearings
The Army-McCarthy hearings (April-June 1954) were held to investigate accusations between the United States Army and US Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy claimed that he had a list of 205 Communists working in the state department. The hearings were inconclusive, but McCarthy was revealed to be an arrogant tyrant and his claims untrue. After McCarthy's death, America was unsure if they could win the Cold War without sacrificing the liberties it was fighting for. It filled the world with fear. -
Battle of Dien Bien Phu
The Battle of Dien Bien Phu happened between March and May of 1954. It was the battle that settled the fate of French Indochina. The battle was fought between the French and Vietminh. The French wanted to take over Vietnam and the Vietnamese wished for independence. From the French view, it was the battle that would draw out the Vietnamese and destroy them with superior firepower. This battle is very significant as it ended in the surrender of the French and ended their presence in Indochina. -
Warsaw Pact
On May 15, 1955, the Warsaw Pact, a collective defense treaty was signed by the Soviet Union and seven of it's satellites. It put the Soviets in command of the armed forces of the member states. The Warsaw Pact was created in response to the integration of West Germany into NATO. The Warsaw Pact was the first step in a systematic plan to strengthen the Soviet hold over its satellites during the Cold War. -
Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (Oct. 23-Nov. 10) was a nationwide revolt against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic. The revolt began as a student demonstration and attracted thousands as they marched. During the march, a student delegation was detained. When demonstrators demanded the release of the delegation, they were shot at. One student died and marked the beginning of the revolution. The revolution was the first major threat to the Soviet control since the end of WWII. -
U-2 Incident
In May 1960, an international crisis erupted when an American U-2 spy plane was shot down by the USSR in Soviet air space. The pilot, Francis Gary Powers, was captured. President Eisenhower was forced to admit to the USSR that the CIA had been flying spy missions over the USSR for several years. The Soviets convicted Powers for 10 years. However, he was released only 2 years later in the first US-USSR spy swap. The U-2 incident raised tensions between the US and the Soviets during the Cold War. -
Bay of Pigs Invasion
On January 1, 1959, Fidel Castro drove his army into Havana and overthrew the nation's American-backed president. For the next two years, the United States attempted to push Castro from power. in April 1961, the CIA launched an invasion of Cuba by American-trained Cubans who fled their homes when Castro took power. The invasion did not go well; the invaders were outnumbered by Castro's troops and surrendered very shortly. The US failed to prevent Communism from entering this nation. -
Berlin Wall
On August 13, 1961, the Communist government of the German Democratic Republic (Easy Germany) began to build a concrete barrier between East and West Berlin. The official purpose of the wall was to keep Western "fascists" from entering East Germany, but it primarily served the objective of stemming mass desertion from the East to West. The wall stood until 1981. The wall symbolized the divide between the Communist Soviets and the Western democrats during the Cold War. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
Leaders of the US and the Soviet Union had a military and political standoff in October of 1962 over the installation of Soviet missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles away from the US. President Kennedy made it clear that the US would use military forces if necessary to calm the threat to national security. The Soviets finally removed the missiles when the US promised to not invade Cuba and to remove missiles from Turkey. This was a dangerous conflict between the US and the Soviets during the Cold War. -
Assassination of Diem
On November 2, 1963, Diem and his brother were killed by a group of soldiers the day after his government was overthrown by South Vietnamese military forces. Diem's death was celebrated by many in the South, however, it lead the nation to political chaos. The US became more heavily involved in Vietnam as it tried to stabilize the South's government. It was eventually revealed that American officials met with the people who assassinated Diem and encouraged them to go through with the plan. -
Assassination of JFK
On November 22, 1963, 35th President John F. Kennedy was assassinated while travelling through Dallas, Texas in the presidential motorcade. He was riding along with his wife, the Texas governor, and his wife. Kennedy was assassinated by former US Marine Lee Harvey Oswald. It was concluded that Oswald acted alone. It was also concluded that Jack Ruby, who killed Oswald before he could stand trial, acted alone. Vice President Johnson was sworn in as the 36th president of the US. -
Tonkin Gulf Resolution
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution, passed August 7, 1964, was a joint resolution that US Congress passed in response to the Tonkin Gulf Incident. It allowed President Johnson to use whatever he needed to in order to repel any armed attack against the US. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution effectively launched America's full-scale involvement in the Vietnam War, with the goal to prevent the spread of Communism. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution could be considered America's Cold War policy. -
Operation Rolling Thunder
Operation Rolling Thunder was the code-name for an American bombing campaign against North Vietnam during the Vietnam War. US aircrafts attacked the North from March 2, 1965 to October of 1968. This attack was meant to put pressure on the Communist leaders of the North and to reduce their ability to wage war on the US supported South. Operation Rolling Thunder marked the first maintained American assault on the North. It also represented a major expansion of US involvement in the Vietnam War -
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a series of North Vietnamese attacks on South Vietnam. It was attempt to provoke rebellions in South Vietnam and encourage the US to reduce their involvement in the Vietnam War. The US and South Vietnam were able to hold off the attacks, but the news coverage viewed by the Americans gradually destroyed support for the war. The Tet Offensive (Jan 30, 1968-Sep 1968) and marked a turning point in the war as it was the start of the slow withdrawal of America from Vietnam. -
Assassination of MLK
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr., a minister and founder of the SCLC, was shot dead Memphis, Tennessee. This event shocked the entire world. King led the Civil Rights Movement from the 1950's using speeches and non-violent protests. His assassination led to anger among Black Americans. James Earl Ray, the shooter, was arrested on June 8, 1968 at a motel in Tennessee. Exactly one year before his assassination, MLK proposed that the US should stop bombing Vietnam. -
Election of Nixon
On November 5, 1968, Richard Nixon won the presidential election defeating Hubert H. Humphrey. Nixon had a campaign that promised to restore law and order to the nation's cities and to provide new leadership in the Vietnam War. Nixon also promised "peace with honor" in Vietnam. During his presidency, Nixon oversaw many dramatic changes in the US Cold War foreign policy, including his policy of detente with the Soviet Union. -
Invasion of Czechoslovakia
On August 20, 1968, Warsaw Pact troops and tanks invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the brief period of liberalization in the Communist country. Czechoslovakians attempted to protest the invasions, but failed as they couldn't match the Soviet tanks. The invasion successfully stopped the liberalization reforms.The invasion also strengthened Communism in the country. -
Riots of Democratic convention
On August 28, 1968, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Vietnam War protesters battled police in the streets. With an intent to stopping Communism, the US developed a policy by which it would intervene in other countries' affairs that seemed susceptible to communist influence. While Democratic delegates were split on the question of Vietnam, protesters gathered on the streets to show support for the withdrawal of US troops from Vietnam. These riots fractured the Cold War consensus. -
Assassination of RFK
On June 5, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy, a presidential candidate, was shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. He died the next day in the hospital. Sirhan, 22-year-old Palestinian, was convicted for first-degree murder. Kennedy was believed to be the only person in American politics that was capable of uniting all the people. Kennedy originally supported the growth of US involvement in the Vietnam War, but he later became convinced that the war should come to an end by a negotiated settlement. -
Kent State
On May 4, 1970, four Kent State University students were killed and nine more were injured when Ohio National Guard members opened fire on a crowd that was gathered to protest the Vietnam War. As an immediate aftermath, colleges and universities were temporarily closed due to a student-led strike. Some people believe that this even tilted public opinion of the war and could have contributed to the downfall of Nixon. -
Nixon visits China
On February 21, 1972, President Nixon arrived in China for a week. It was a dramatic first step in normalizing relations with China. Nixon's arrival in Beijing ended twenty-five years of no communication between the two countries. Nixon's visit was the beginning of the slow and important process of re-establishing diplomatic relations between the US and Communist China. -
Ceasefire in Vietnam
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of fighting in which each side agrees to suspend any aggressive behaviors. The ceasefire in Vietnam was effective on midnight January 27, 1973 and began on time, but both sides violated it. The South Vietnamese continued to take back villages occupied by Communists just two days before the ceasefire. The Communist North tried to capture additional territory. This resulted in an almost endless chain of revenge during the Vietnam War. -
Fall of Saigon
The Fall of Saigon was the capture of Saigon, the South Vietnamese capital, by the Viet Cong on April 30, 1975. North Vietnam began their final attack on April 29, 1975 suffering a heavy artillery bombardment. This bombardment caused the last two American servicemen in Vietnam to die. By afternoon of the next day, North Vietnam occupied the important parts of Saigon. The Fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War and the beginning of the reunification of Vietnam. -
Reagan elected
Ronald Reagan, a former actor and California governor, was elected as president on November 4, 1980. He served from 1981 to 1989. During his presidency, he cut taxes and increased defense spending. Reagan is also credited with helping bring a quicker end to the Cold War as he negotiated a nuclear arms agreement with the Soviets. Also, in one of his Cold War speeches, Reagan challenged Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader, to tear down the Berlin wall, which happened two years later. -
SDI announced
The Strategic Defense Initiative, or SDI, was a space-based missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic strategic nuclear weapons. The concept of the SDI was first announced publicly by Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983. The concept was basically to intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached the US or an ally. SDI was nicknamed "Star Wars." The Soviets denounced Reagan for such a concept, but saw SDI as an immediate threat. -
Geneva Conference with Gorbachev
At the first Geneva Conference, on November 19, 1985, Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev met for the first time to talk on international diplomatic relations and the arms race. Gorbachev was ready to negotiate an arms reduction on condition that Reagan abandon "Star Wars", but Reagan refused. In private, the two leaders marked the beginnings of a personal relationship that would transcend the Cold War. -
‘Tear down this wall’ speech
"Tear down this wall" can be heard in a popular Cold War speech made by Ronald Reagan (June 12, 1987) in West Berlin calling Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader, to break the wall that divided East and West Berlin. The speech was a source of controversy within the Reagan administration as some people advised against the words because it could cause further tension during the Cold War, or potential embarrassment to Gorbachev. After this speech, citizens everywhere began to rise up against Communism. -
Fall of Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall stood until November 9, 1989, when the leader of the East German Communist Party announced that citizens could cross the border whenever they pleased freely. That night, crowds swarmed the wall. Some people crossed freely into West Berlin, but other began to pick at the wall itself. The Berlin Wall still remains a significant and powerful symbol in the Cold War.
